Rochester man pleads guilty to fentanyl trafficking charge

John Furber, 45, of Rochester pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Concord to two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute — fentanyl and carfentanil. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, said acting U.S. Attorney John Farley in a release.

Court documents and statements made in court show that during a vehicle stop in Rochester on March 29, 2017, nearly 10 grams of fentanyl was found to be in Furber’s possession.

On April 26, 2017, police said officers located Furber at a hotel in Rochester where he was found with over nine grams of fentanyl and over 28 grams of carfentanil, along with over $2,000 in cash.

On May 24, 2017, Furber was arrested by the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force at an apartment in North Conway, where an additional quantity of fentanyl was found on Furber’s person.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Furber will forfeit $2,105 in drug proceeds.

“The aggressive investigation and prosecution of individuals engaged in heroin, fentanyl and carfentanil trafficking in New Hampshire remains a top priority of the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal level,” said Farley in a statement. “The recent presence of carfentanil in New Hampshire, a drug that is hundreds of times more powerful than fentanyl, will result in an even greater number of overdose deaths and presents unprecedented public safety concerns for law enforcement and first responders.”